Venture Up
Empowering New Zealand’s youth to lead bold futures
Industry
Education, Services, B2C
Role
Brand strategy and design
Year
2018
Overview
With an ever-changing work landscape, a joint immersive accelerator programme was set up between Creative HQ and the New Zealand government. Venture Up was designed for aspiring young leaders to learn industry-agnostic skills. The programme sought to engage a broader audience and maintain relevance as the entrepreneurial environment evolves.
I worked with the programme director to transform the brand across all touchpoints, from promotional materials to programme events. Focused on creating a cohesive and energising experience for participants and stakeholders alike, the dynamic visual identity embodies the ethos of Venture Up; bold, future-focused, and empowering.
Results
150+ participants
since 2018, five cohorts have graduated from the programme
Scaled delivery
in 2021, Venture Up piloted its largest cohort since 2016, with 36 participants completing a remote MVP version of the programme
Sustained engagement
with both new and existing audiences, reinforcing Venture Up’s position as a leader in youth entrepreneurship
Addressing maturing audiences; declining engagement, stinted appeal and growth potential
Since 2015, Venture Up had run three successful programmes but a refreshed brand was essential to re-energise the programme and align it with the needs of a new generation. Through discovery in 2018, we identified three key challenges to address:
Reconnect with the brand's ethos
To empower participants to challenge the status quo, the programme focuses on building confidence, capability and connections.
Appeal to new generations of participants
With the increasing cost (advertising and events) of building engagement for each cohort, while the target audience graduates and "ages out" a new audience requires engagement.
Re-align the brand with the core audience
To reconnect the dynamic, forward-thinking nature of the programme in a way relevant to the 18–24 year old audience and reflect the participant experience.
Instilling confidence, capability and connection
I developed Venture Up’s vibrant new visual identity featuring bold colours and statement design elements that embody the programme’s dynamic and forward-thinking nature. A brand designed to shape the future leaders of New Zealand, ensure the programme’s relevance and set the stage for future growth. This brand refresh began with a deep dive into the essence of Venture Up and resulted in a revitalised image with:
A redefined colour palette to reflect the energy of participants, speakers, and staff.
Bold design elements that convey the innovative ideas and diverse personalities participants bring to a programme which fosters a mindset of challenging norms and fostering innovation.
Messaging that captures the transformative experiences of participants and Venture Up’s belief that New Zealand’s youth will lead the way into a sustainable future – economically, environmentally, and socially.
Kelcey took the time to understand the Venture Up audience and mesh those insights with what we try to do. Her involvement has been critical to the success of the programme, and the continued growth of the brand, and creating a voice that’s distinctly ‘Venture Up’.
I’d recommend Kelcey to any company going through a brand refresh or repositioning, looking to engage in a clear process and focus on really understanding their customers.
– Steph Benseman, Programme Director (2019–2020)
What I did
Strategy
Discovery and user research
Values, purpose, proposition and personality
Language, tone of voice and messaging
Design
Brand and visual identity
Design systems and guidelines
Art direction
Brand animation
Content and information architecture
Collateral design
Website design
I'm always keen to collaborate when I have the time. Give me a shout about an upcoming project, email:
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